Skirt-lifter.



ma. @wm Patenten Fab. l2, 19m R. J. PIPER.

SKIRT LIFTER.

[Application led Get. 23, 1899. Renewed Jan. 1B, 1901.)

(No Modul.)

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ltlClil/ARD J. PIPER, OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOiS.

SPIEGIFCATJEDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,121, dated February 12, 1 901 Application. led October ZS, 1899. Renewed January 18, 1901. herial No. 43,757. (No model.)

2b [JZ 'wh/mit 7715 may concern:

Be it known that i, RICHARD J. PIPER, a citizen olf` the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot' Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirt Flevating and Supporting Devices, of which the followingisaspecificalion,

Referring to the drawings, wherein like referenceletters indicate the same or correspending parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view ol a dress-skirt provided with my novel device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ot a portion ot' the paris of my invention shown in Fig. l. is an enlarged View of a portion of the parts shown in Figs. l and Fig. t is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. Iii, taken on the line et 4.- thereof and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows at the top and bottom of said figure. Fig. 5 is an eniarged view of a portion ot' the partsl shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. G isa sectional view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 5, taken on the line 6 6 thereo't' and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows at the top and bottom of said figure. Fig. '7 isa sectional view of one form of cord retaining and guiding device, to be hereinafter more fully explained, that maybe used in connection with the other parts oi myinvention. Fig. S is a perspective view of a plate provided with cord guiding and fastening means hereinafter to be more fully explained. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the parts shown in 8, taken on the line 9 9 of said ligure and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows at the top and bottom thereof. Fig. 10 is a left to right end elevation oi' the parts shown in Fig. 9. Fig. ll is a perspective view of a cord and a plate provided with means to support and engage said cord. Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. l1, taken on the line l2 12 thereof.

i-leretofore dress-shirt supporters have been et' two general hinds-safetypins or other pins operating on the same principle and clamps or pins attached to a chain, strap, or cord, which in turn were attached to a belt. VWomen generally have discarded the rst class of devices because of the liability of tearing a pinned-up garment, and have discarded the second class owing to their unsightly appearance and the necessitated use of a belt and for the additional reason that such devices make the skirt when elevated look ill-litting and untidy. For these reasons women now commonly prefer to lift and support the back of their skirts by means ot' their hands.

The object of my invention is to produce a skirt elevating and supporting device which shall be comparatively inexpensive,concealed from view when the garment to Which it is attached is being worn, and operate in a simple manner to gather a portion oi the back of the garment into plaits or folds and thereafter elevate a portion of the base of the skirt; and to that end it consists in the features of construction and combination hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

For the purpose of briefly describing my invention wherever the Wort cord appears it will be understood that said Word signifies a cord, string, tape, braid, or other equivalent or one or more of said devices separately or simultaneously used.

Referring to the drawings, A is a cord, and rt a grip or tassel attached to one end ot' said cord, the other extremity ofthe cord being divided into the ends a' or havi ug a cord or cords 01,' attached thereto in such manner as to be the equivalent of a divided end.

E is a piece or strip of piping or double strip olf braid or tape fastened together at its edges, through which a cord may be passed. (See Fig. 7.) A

C is a sheave incased within a suitable block or covering, provided with stitchingholes, whereby it may be fastened to the waistband of the skirt, I) a ring secured to the skirt E in any suitable manner, as by the tab (l, and E a dress-skirt.

The parts of the preferred form of my device are assembled, as shown in the drawings, as follows: The cord A is passed through the piping B, which piping is attached to the waistband of the skirt in any suitable manner, as by stitching it thereto, thence over the sheave or pulley-wheel C, and thence through the ring D, and the ends a are thereafter attached in any suitable manner to the skirt E at the points e.

IOO

The operation of this form of my device is as follows: The wearer of the garment desiring to lift the base of the back of the skirt, the end ci of the cord Abeing pulled upon, said cord passes through the piping B and over the Isheave C, the separated ends of or the cord or cords attached to the cord A being drawn together until their lateral movement is arrested by the ring D, thereby drawing toward each other the portions of the skirt to which the ends or cord or cords a' are attached. The skirt being thus formed in folds or plaits at the back, if the pull upon the cord A be oontinued the ends a, thereof, the parts e of the skirt, and the ring D, secured to the skirt, will be drawn upward, thus raising the base of the back of the skirt. When the skirt has been raised as described, it may be retained in such position by passing the cord A over any suitable retaining or securing device, as a2, or said device and an additional fastening device, such as d3. When the cord A is released, the weight of the skirt will restore the garment and the parts of the device to their normal position.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, F is a plate of any suitable mate rial,preferably sheet metal, provided with stitching-holes f, by means of which and suitable thread the plate and the fastener a2, attached thereto, may be secured to the skirt. f is a corrugation or channel formed in the plate, in which the cord A may be countersunk in order to minimize the friction of the cord upon the plate at the point 3Q f2, where it passes through the same.

It is obvious that the part A may be a string, cord, tape, or any suitable material; that eyes or eyelets may be employed in place of the piping B and that said piping may be formed of any suitable material; that the block and sheave may be of any suitable form and material or that a ring or rings may be substituted therefor; that the grip a may be of any suitable form or material attached to or a part of the cord A or be omitted therefrom, if desired; that one or more rings D may be employed or a sheave or sheaves or other suitable means substituted therefor; that any suitable fastening device or devices may be employed instead of the devices a2 as; that the cord A need not pass through the plate F; that the channel or corrugations f maybe omitted from the plate; that said plate may be omitted and any suitable fastening or securing device employed and directly attached to the skirt; that the parts a may be so fastened to the skirt as to form few or many foldsor plaits in the back thereof when said parts are subjected to a lateral pull, and it is further obvious that the number, size,and form of the parts described may be greatly varied without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a skirt-elevator the combination with a skirt having a waistband, a guide secured to the inner rear side of the waistband, a guide secured at the inner side of the skirt at a point below the waistband, a cord passing through the said waistband-guide and provided with two oppositely-extending lower ends passing through the lower guide and connected to the skirt at opposite sides of the said skirt-guide, whereby an upward pull upon the cord will first cause a lateral gathertially as described.

2. A skirt folder and elevator comprising a skirt having a guide attached to the waistband at the rear side of the skirt, a positively laterally moving member connected with the skirt at a point below the waistband, the skirt having attached thereto at a point below the waistband a stop for the said laterally-movable member and independent thereof, and a vertically-movable member connected with the laterally-moving member, whereby the skirt is first folded by the movement of the vertically-movable member and then elevated by a continuous movement thereof, substantially as described.

3. A skirt folder and elevator comprising a skirt having a guide'attached to the upper portion thereof, a stop connectedto the inner side of the skirt at a point below the said guide, a laterally-movable member connected to the skirt below the upper portion thereof and independent of the said stop but adapted to engage therewith when drawn laterally, and a verticallymovable member passing through the said guide and attached to the laterally-moving member; whereby avertical pull upon the vertically-movable member will first pull the skirt laterally and then elevate it vertically, substantially as described.

RICHARD J. PIPER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. I-IILL, M. A. KENNEDY. 

